‘545 women die annually during child birth in Nigeria’

At least 545 women die during child birth annually in Nigeria, a research carried out by the BBC Media Action has revealed.

The National Coordinator of BBC Media Action, an NGO, Mr. Yusuf Gusau, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Gusau at a workshop organised for media practitioners and some selected NGOs and health providers on the use of contraceptives and importance of child spacing.

He said the figure represented 10 per cent of global mortality rate with 545 mothers dying in every 100,000 live births while infant mortality had also risen to 110 in every 1,000 births in the country.

He blamed the situation on inaccessibility and poor awareness of family planning products and methods as well as poor attitudes of the service providers.

Yusuf said his organisation, which established another arm known as Expanded Social Marketing Project in Nigeria (ESMPIN), was already working towards creating more awareness in 15 selected states in the nation.

He further explained that in Zamfara State, the body had selected three communities in each of the four local government areas of Bakura, Bukkuyum, Maru and Zurmi and would soon extend to more areas in the state.

In order to achieve the set objective, the coordinator said, ESMPIN held a meeting with traditional rulers, religious and community leaders over the use of contraceptives in order to ensure that births were well spaced between children so as to achieve healthier live.

“We are not in any way supporting abortion but we want to ensure that children are spaced for at least two years in between one birth and the next, so that infant mortality can be reduced to the barest minimum and mothers given enough time to recuperate after every child delivery,” Gusau said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the BBC Media Action is among other NGOs established to help reduce poverty, provide access to media to the rural poor, create awareness, share opinions and shape peoples’ lives so as to develop communities and earn better life.